


Only A Winter's Tale II.

by VoltageStone



Category: Victorious
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-26
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-01-23 18:21:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12513488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VoltageStone/pseuds/VoltageStone
Summary: \A SevReed Story\- Jade finds an unexpected visitor on a cold New Year's Eve.[A/N: Best to read first chapter for the note at the end. Clears up the confusion.]





	1. Chapter 1

_It was only a winter's tale,_  
Just another winter's tale...  
And why should the world take notice,  
Of one more love that's failed?

* * *

**_No One's Perspective_ ** **_-_ **

Cross-legged on her bed, Jade West hummed softly to a tune she hadn't heard before. That, or perhaps she _had_ heard of it in passing. As the norm of her room, she sat alone (like she slept alone, studied alone and dressed alone in her quarters). Once her mellow thrum continued, a short, abrupt sneeze halted it in its tracks and then a followed sniff. She groaned quietly; what she would do to _not_ be sick on New Year's Eve. Perhaps Jade should go to bed, the weight of the evening resting heavily on her shoulders. As her mind recalled for her - much to her bitter approval - there was a lot of snot, tissues and bed. With her gaze on her sheets, she grimaced, knowing that they'd ought to be cleaned immediately after she was better.

Even with her yawn and tired eyes, midnight struck and she was at her phone, its white light setting a stark contrast against the dim lamp's one.

 _'Resolution,'_ splayed across her skull, nailing itself to the sides with seven inch nails each - seven inch _metaphorical_ nails each. She sorrowfully recollected just the prior Friday's events, the idea of a party shattering in her mind as she coughed her way to the news. She would've joked to not shoot the messenger if she a) remembered to have Tori tell the others - her memory, she swore, was dreadful compared to when she wasn't a puddle of mucus and sweat - and b) if the reaction rippled with an honest sympathy other than the false, collected smiles that were given. Not that they weren't happy, no, just not sympathetic or even _empathetic_. Her bitter, dismal tune came back to her mind, resembling the words, _'Oh how those felt relief to know that the big bad Jade would be cursed with the cold.'_ She stopped, furrowing her brows at her door; it could have been a flu with the temperature swings...if she'd check them.

The loss of a small square of illumination jolted her from the strange, instantaneous thoughts - any bug would force her mind to wonder as her feet didn't - her thumb smacking against the screen. It woke from its brief slumber, Jade sighing mutely in what could have been despair. It might have been disappointment, mind you, though she didn't exactly know the difference as her head ached terribly.

The only one, as she stared at the screen, who'd surely answer based on the Friday exchange was Tori - ironic, she thought it was. And, even she had managed to out-act Beck - who's taken at least a dozen classes - with her down expression, slack in frame and an internal decision to just walk away from the table, avoiding the other gazes along with Jade's.

Though, as Jade reimagined _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_ \- a film which she'd recommended to anyone who was sick - her glorious deed would solve the small issue. Her palm found her forehead, teeth hissing several obscenities pertaining how stupid she was sounding. Though as the next horrid sneeze reminded her, she was sick and doomed to her wondering mind. Things, by any means, were going to change. Right then. Right there. Right with her new resolution that she had sent - her eyes glanced to her clock - _thirty_ minutes ago.

Her thumb pressed on the screen once again, her sleeve collecting anything dribbling from her nose; she didn't want to think about it.

**Jade- Happy New Year.**

Of course, she hadn't done much, it was only a text. Five different texts, but the same nevertheless. It wasn't baking cookies or not laughing at Trina's awful attempt at talent, just a simple, three letter text. _'But multiplied by five and that'd be fifteen...'_ she mindlessly calculated, bored out of her mind. Shaking the petty thoughts away, Jade dwelled on the idea of being friendlier. Not less sarcastic or gruesome with her ideas, but just more approachable. Bitch, gank and cunt shouldn't be a part of her description any longer.

Though as the time ticked by, she assumed that there'd be _additions_ to that, a sudden fury blazing through her chest. And, of course, her sniffle quickly extinguished that.

Maybe she _should've_ put more of an exclamation to it, or added a couple of funny faces, or even hearts. That would've been more of a start, as she sorely thought. Though, with one glance around her room, clad with neutral to dark colors with rather eccentric objects, it wasn't a mystery as of why she hadn't. Even so, her own message was a start of sorts, seeing as wishing a happy new year was pointless. And, it still was - out of her habits - to do so. On the other hand, she began to understand that socializing like this was what people _needed_. Not wanted, otherwise it'd be a gift. It was a necessity expected as it was engraved in social norm; these were the little things that piled to the ceiling, rocking back and forth as one would hesitantly add on to the tower. Of course, after a while, it would collapse on its own, suffocating the victim with their own mess that could've been avoided if they had looked after the little things.

She tapped the phone once again, keen on not having ridiculous thoughts sway her attention span.

 _12:36_ stared blankly back at her, the wallpaper in the background giving nothing else but a relatively nice pair of scissors. Nothing. Nothing whatsoever had enlightened her device with the knowledge that someone was there, and that someone actually cared for her small forward notion on being _nice_. Not even Beck, which should have been out of habit since, as she recalled, they've been a couple for _two_ years. But _no_ , there was _nothing_.

And so she started the cycle once again - aside from her impetuous ideas drowning her intentions - of tapping the screen every thirty seconds. _'Right so...thirty-four minutes times two...sixty-eight and then minus two- three and that'd be sixty-five,'_ she calculated again, growling as she pushed against the black screen.

Maybe they were too far into the crowd, bobbing their heads to the blasting music with whatever - she didn't know what to expect out of Hollywood Arts' parties even after going to most - running through their system. Perhaps Cat was passed out drunk on the couch, not coherent enough to notice the buzzing device in her pocket. It was possible that Robbie was trailing behind Beck who often danced in the crowd, flashing his signature, easy-going smile. Andre with some chick as he was a hopeless romantic, she knew, and then Tori...would be doing something. Drinking, dancing or going after some guy no doubt. Jade frowned at the thought, a little piece of herself hoping that she was just drunk and not with some guy that would torment her weeks on end about wanting another round.

Nevertheless on what they were doing, her small, tiny gesture was lost at their fingertips, only to be thanked in many hours later.

Or perhaps they were having fun without her _because_ they were without her.

That was a strong possibility.

Might be it...

 _'God damn it,'_ she internally swore - accompanied by a heavy sniff - reaching for her lamp before a dull vibration sounded from...wherever she left her phone. The lamp was switched off by the twist of her fingers, eyes to her bed. _'Great job looking for that in the dark,'_ her mind persisted maliciously. Her head spun to find her sheets pushed during her efforts to turn off the lamp. Her hand shuffled around, brows set firmly across her forehead before relaxing once her hand brushed over the case. At least Beck answered. Drunken moment of guilt perhaps, though she'd take it all the same.

**Tori- Happy New Year x.**

And it wasn't Beck, though one she'd bet on to answer anyway. The girl was persistent on their friendship. She cared enough to reply, which planted a small grin across her lips. Even with _all_ of the fighting they've endured, she still wanted to show her affections. Affections which has never been answered to well. As Jade mulled over the revelation, she should've known - Tori was a damn bop bag; punch her to the ground and she would come right back up.

As another minute swept by, Jade startled, watching the perfect opportunity of polishing her resolution drain away.

**Jade- How's the party?**

There was a moment before answering, as expected from one who needed to ignore the thumping music and multitude of people. The three dots at the corner of her screen, as she felt her attitude lift, was enough.

**Tori- It was okay. We missed you.**

A hoarse laugh escaped Jade's mouth; of course Tori would lie to spare feelings. With the only light in front of her, she sniffed, blinking at the screen. Her jaw tightened as watery drops came from her stinging eyes, dripping to the phone. This was definitely a flu; colds never made her cry.

**Jade- Where are you now?**

**Tori- I'm outside.**

Jade stopped short, eyebrows together. _'What was she doing outside? Taxi?'_ her mind managed. She briefly contemplated on scraping herself from her deathbed and taking her home. After all, she'd promise to be nicer, follow the golden rule and all that. And perhaps this would be a chance to _not_ have her throat scratched by the time their usual arguing was taken too far (since, at times, they had).

**Jade- Outside where?**

There was only a short pause, the goth tapping her fingers against the sides of her device.

**Tori- Your house.**

Nine letters danced along the screen, unable to wedge themselves in her skull. _'Whose house?'_ she blinked, _'My house? Why would she be...'_

With a quick, unnerving passion to reach the stairs before her phone had hit the bed, Jade bolted through the kitchen, very nearly ramming herself into the side of the fridge. Giving the time to spew a vigorous obscenity, she swerved around the corner to the door. As the heavy door was unlatched and yanked open, pale eyes fluttered as a heavy cloud of exhaled air steamed from the shivering half-Latina. Tori smiled, unfazed as Jade sputtered, "What the hell?"

"Oh, hi," the other greeted, oddly out of place as it was just over twelve-thirty in the morning, standing in a small bundle of a jacket, cap and scarf with Jade sniffing at her own snot. "I was just-" she began gasping as a firm grip pulled her from the elbow.

Shaking her head, Jade growled, "Get in here. You'll catch your death out there." Tori only raised a brow, folding her arms as she watched the goth scratch her nose.

"Thanks," Tori mumbled slowly, trotting further in the house hold, "It's only Los Angeles."

Ignoring the coy comment, Jade asked, "Did you walk here?"

"Only from the party," Tori shrugged, "It's not that far."

The thespian shivered gently, realizing that her own clothing was far thinner than that of the girl before her. "But why, for God's sake?"

Weighing her options, Tori answered, "You texted me."

"Only to wish you a happy new year," Jade deadpanned, adding, "I didn't mean for you to drop everything and come over." The exciting party of her own was gestured towards the dark shadows lining the walls, lights yet to be lit.

"Do you want me to go?" the singer began to maneuver towards the door teasingly, Jade quick to act.

"What? No, of course not," she snapped, exasperated, "I'm just surprised, that's all. I didn't think..."

As the silence droned on for far too long for her liking, Tori prodded, "Didn't think what?"

"No one else even replied to my text," mumbled Jade, finding herself more choked up about the matter than she'd like to admit. _'Fucking flu,'_ her thoughts rummaged.

Being sincerely apologetic, as the thespian saw, Tori replied, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Jade hummed. Attempting to be more optimistic about things - with her newly made goal and all - she added, "Maybe they never got it." Doe eyes shifted nervously to the ground, an aura of guilt shrouding the goth's newly found pleasant attitude. "They did, didn't they," she interrogated, Tori giving a slow nod. "They all got it. Right, that's it," Jade grumbled flatly, "Forget this damn resolution - first day back to school, they're dead meat."

Quirking a brow, Tori asked with a small chuckle at Jade's mutterings, "What resolution?"

With flashing images of grotesque splatters in each of their lockers, mind humming soulfully at the idea of impaling her scissors through Beck's clean locker, Jade was lost to her imagination. "I'm so gonna..." she began morbidly, blinking as the half-Latina stared, waiting for an answer. "What?" she replied dumbly.

"I said," Tori repeated softly, "'What resolution?'"

"Oh. It was nothing," Jade muttered. "I was just-" she found the words sticking to her throat, and coughed, "I was just going to try being nicer to people, that's all."

Tilting her head to the side with curiosity that would rival a fellow feline that she'd spotted on her way over, Tori asked, "Really?"

"Yeah," came a bitter spit, "Well, they've had that. If no one wants to know, then screw 'em."

" _I_ want to know," the half-Latina murmured truthfully. The brisk chill from the doorway - which was still open even with the minutes passing, Jade's shoulder to the cold air as it snaked down her spine - sent Jade in a short blur of puzzlement.

"I..." She felt like a fish gaping through the glass, not exactly knowing what to say. Doe eyes glimmered oddly, pale ones narrowing. "What?" Jade snapped.

"Are you crying?"

Warmth dripped to her cheeks, her sleeve - which she ever so pleasantly reminded herself that she'd done the same with her nose beforehand - brushing them away. The thespian stubbornly hissed, "No... It's just this stupid bug I've got."

"Right," a small smile ghosted Tori's lips, her tone laced with playful suspicion.

Both registered one another in the silence settling between them. Jade narrowed her eyes at the door, wondering if Tori left it wide open, frame tense even with the calm voice. "So, did you bring chicken soup?" she murmured carefully.

"What?" Tori jerked, almost tearing herself from her nagging thoughts.

Rolling her eyes, Jade muttered, "Chicken soup." The singer only remained quiet, waiting for anything else than a simple, warm food. "It's what people usually bring when they're trying to make you feel better," she finished.

"No, I didn't bring chicken soup?" Tori murmured quietly, anticipation at her hint of a question resting on her shoulders. Tori began to play with her fingers behind her back as she rocked to and fro in her stance.

The goth sighed. "Oh," she hummed, "Well, that's good. Because I hate chicken soup."

Doe eyes rested on the teen before her, glinting as she imagined a cat batting around with its favorite toy. A bop bag which would always come right back up. "I know," she smirked gingerly, the expression on the thespian's face softening.

She observed Tori, noting that, for one, she hadn't made any efforts to get comfortable in her home - a home which, admittedly, wasn't exactly the most welcoming. Though the other had ventured passed the living room to the kitchen, being ushered up the stairs with Jade's determination for a good grade on the partner-projects. Clearing her throat, she recalled her small goal, eyes wavering towards the tiled floors just feet from her person. "Do you want a drink or something?" she asked, "I can put on some coffee, or-"

"Jade?" Tori interrupted, snapping the jaw of the goth closed instantly.

When she didn't continue, Jade drawled, "Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?" The hesitance wafted from the question, dark eyes glancing up to find the all too familiar expression planted on Jade's face: brows set firm across her forehead with the studded piercing blinking in the porch light, lips with no smile twitching, eyes set out as they almost glared in front of her.

Tori bit her lip, mentally chiding her for the weak voice expelled from her mouth. Even so, she stood, understanding Jade's calculating stare. "Sure," came a blunt answer, the stillness of the room resting on each of their shoulders.

"Do you hate me?"

Eyebrows slanted by few degrees, lips pursing with eyes flashing in a quick bitter guilt. She shook as a morbid chill raced up her spine, having nothing to do with the open door this time around. "No, of course I don't hate you," she answered honestly. After all, there was a long list of reasons to be friendly: resolution and pleading doe eyes. "Why would you think that?" Jade cocked her head to the side. No comment was formed though there hadn't been a reason for one. Clearing her throat, Jade quickly added to save face, "Look, I know I can be a gank at times... But that's just us, isn't it? Me and you. You know, high-jinks, laughs. We butt heads, we face off. But I don't really _mean_ it. I don't hate you. If anything, I...kind of like you." Her finish was lame though it brought the message across. Habits were half-tempted to breach the calm atmosphere, to put down any value in what she had stated.

 _'Happy New Year,'_ her conscious blared across her skull, keeping her trap shut.

Tori bobbed her head slowly, eyes to the carpeted floor. "Good," she murmured quietly to herself, Jade just barely managing to hear, "That's good."

Both felt the minute tick on by before Jade lost her patience, guilt running through her words. " _Please_ tell me you didn't come all the way over here just to ask me that," she asked hoarsely, Tori snapping her gaze towards the pitiful statement.

"No," she felt a knot form at the base of her throat, "I didn't."

"So..."

"So?"

Jade stepped forward, confronting the situation with a more intimate distance and her sniveling nose. "So why _did_ you come over?" she asked in a hushed voice.

**. . .**

_The beat pulsed through her skull, sloshing any coherent thought blooming. Though, with each burning sip, Tori found it an easier task to drown the noise than anything. Her phone rested in her palm as she duck her head back, draining the last of...whatever it was. As she smacked her lips lightly, it wasn't all bad than the canned beers smuggled into the party. Any shred of guilt that had bubbled in the beginning of the party was plummeted to the ground, however, once she brought the drink to her lips. The drink that was before the last one...which was before the one she put down. Standing, she found herself still relatively balanced,_ almost _proudly noting how she wasn't a lightweight as Jade had bet for five-hundred._

_Her sluggish smile dropped immediately to her lips, an invisible hand guiding her back to her seat._

_Jade and her snarky bites hadn't been taunting her to the dance floor or keeping her chugging in a vain attempt that Tori - also relatively known as Sweet Sally Peaches - could, in fact, drink and not pass out drunk. She thought about how this party, even if it wasn't the last, would've been a great chance to find a foot hold in what relationship was founded. The idea of glancing back at a yearbook and finding a familiar, though dated, smirk flashing at her gave her the sullen expression she'd been wearing the past hour._

_Of course, she blamed the flu, even if the circumstance had been foreshadowed with Jade's light sniffles and outbursts about how she wasn't going to fall ill. Tori blamed the bug that Jade had caught for ruining her chances of building something - anything at this point - which would last. Last until she was celebrating her graduation with a tasseled cap and a bright, cheery smile whilst the crowd roared cheerfully - if she went to college anyway. Or perhaps it could last until they could formulate some big hit on a tune that would replay over and over with a push of a button as people groaned, cursing at the rush hour._

_And, as the half-Latina wearily leaned into her palm, that was just a dream - a silly, little wish. She'd once asked for a pony - one with green and purple spots named Gerald - and passing her driver's license. And with that, she'd drive off in the sunset with Gerald in a trailer, awaiting their new home._ _That dream, alike her hope to reach out for Jade's attention, was child-like. It was innocent._

_It was also bullshit, as she concluded._

_There was a strong possibility, with the way things were going, that Jade wouldn't give a flying_ anything _if they lost contact. Maybe she's the only one worrying over the fact, pining on the inevitable._

_All pessimistic thoughts, however, drained away with one single vibration at her grasp. Quickly, her eyes flashed down to her hand, the white light bathing her face, creating sharp, exaggerated shadows._

_**Jade- Happy New Year.** _

_Her attention lifted, finding her friends mulling about, distracted with their activities; aside from Robbie and Cat who vanished during the first twenty minutes of the gang's time at the party. Beck, body slowing its pace as he bobbed his head to the bass, hand traveling to his pocket. He briefly scanned over his screen before pocketing the device, glancing towards Andre over some chick's shoulder. Both shared a grin, the girl in the musician's arms oblivious with her rocking movements._

_A bundle of fury formed at Tori's chest, eyes narrowing distastefully at the two. Beck more so than Andre. The Canadian stood with his nearly boastful smile hidden underneath gentle eyes, his confidence of Jade crawling back to him clear to the half-Latina's loathing. Loathing which was most definitely altered with what her stomach was gurgling._

_However long she sat there, glaring at the two with her own ideas blinking to reality, hadn't mattered. She stood from her table, glancing at the bottle as it had gifted her the sudden credence._

_She left the brown glass bottle - the oil - with the text burning in her mind - the match._

_Whatever shall spark that night was in her hands._

**. . .**

With a breath of finality, Tori twisted around, shutting the door as the clock clicked to twelve-fifty. "You want to know why I came?" Her stomach felt queasy as it dropped to the floor, her expression one of confidence - or an attempt at confidence - either way. She raised her index finger as Jade nearly opened her mouth to confirm, pressing it against soft, cold lips.

"Because I made a resolution too."


	2. A Fool's Errand

_It was a love that could never be,_  
Though it meant a lot to you and me,  
On a worldwide scale,  
We're just another winter's tale...

* * *

_ **No One's Perspective** **-**   
_

She swore the floorboards had reached their hands and clawed her to the ground, unwilling to let go as she blinked. _"Because I made a resolution too,"_ lingered in her mind for what had been, at that point, a good long while. Maybe not a _long_ while, though a few minutes at least. Or perhaps at most, either or. She'd been so keen to hear the girl out, mind trailing to the ends of her skull to attempt to predict the news before they had been drawn passed the barrier of teeth.

_"I like you."_

What would she give to never have to respond to that, Jade didn't know. She knew, however, that she stood there like a statue of a gaping fish, staring down at the half-Latina as she stood in her own agonizing pain. And had it not continued, Jade wouldn't have believed the three words - or nine, really.

 _"I missed you,"_ Tori had began shifting from side to side as Jade recalled. _"And I don't know why, because I knew that all you'd do was make fun of me, or ignore me, or spill beer over me. But I still wanted you to be there, because something felt different. Like it was the end of something. This time next year we'll all be gone, and I know the guys will stay in touch, and meet up, and visit, and all those things, but it won't be the same."_

Her eyes narrowed at the empty space, the anvil on her chance growing heavier as the mental gears spun - miraculously charging through the flu's distortion - in a fury.

 _"And then your text came through, and I realized why I missed you, and why the thought of never seeing you again hurt so much,"_ she had said, Jade nodding slowly at her recollection. _"I like you, Jade. I don't mean as a person, or as a friend, or that I admire you, or any of that, although all of that's true. I mean, I like you. As more than just a friend. And I know you'll think that's weird after everything we've been through, after all the fights, and the arguments, and I'm not sure I understand it myself, but there it is. I've finally worked out what keeps driving me to be with you, to look out for you, to see your face even when it isn't there. I like you."_

The silence, thereafter, was as dark and cold as anything was in that house. Jade, with her jaw wired shut, was unable to register anything through the film of nausea and mucus.

_"I'm not asking anything of you, Jade. I'm not crazy enough to think that you feel the same about me, or that anything's going to chance. I know that the best I can hope for is that you don't throw me out, or laugh at me, although I hope you might think enough of me as a friend to at least keep this between us. It's been so hare coming here, and I'm not sure I could stand it if everyone knew, but I had to do it. I know this is probably a fool's errand, but if I don't tell you this now, tonight, I know I never will, and I'll spend the rest of my life regretting it..._

_"Because if there was even the slightest chance that you might want me, I have to take it." Doe eyes glanced up towards the stock expression, a crack of thunderous disappointment blazing through the heavy clouds of regret. In an instance, Jade not moving a muscle, Tori whipped around, tearing the door open and bolting out - in heels, mind, which was a talent in of itself. The cold slapped Jade harshly, pale eyes blinking in the empty space._

The same chill still brushed against her skin like talons, her head slowly drifting towards the door. Jade blinked towards the flickering streetlight and the dewy grass, dark patches splotched in a trail left behind by the singer.

 _'You idiot,'_ her mind chided. She stood, the cat who usually batted playfully at wondering hands which reached in the brown, paper bag curiously. Sure her nails would sometimes leave a mark, though that was it. And, at times, her claws would get caught in the jewelry or low-hanging sleeves - understandable. Then now, she was thrown out of the bag to land on a wet puddle, only to find a lovely rose settled beside it. A rose carefully dropped to her side in hopes of...the slightest chance. Fate, Tori had relied on fate for the soaking cat, bemused and sick with snot, to take the rose without shock.

But Jade didn't just do that, no. Not only did she just stand there, but she stared at the half-Latina blankly, eyes widening in what had been interpreted as horror.

 _'Nice one, West,'_ her thoughts impeded once again.

And now, left distraught as Jade could only imagine, Tori was in the cold, in the dead of night, alone with a short dress. It was only a matter of minutes before Jade scrambled with boots and a coat, striding out the door in hot pursuit.

From the seventeen steps that she counted, Jade realized three things while her body continued to follow the wet path of Tori's heels. One, her breath fogged in the air, dutifully reminding the goth of her body's current and rather unpleasant conditions. Even so, she halted, furrowing her brows as the second thought dawned on her: watered steps would fade away in due time. She whirled around, attention darting in all directions _as if_ Tori would randomly cross a street instead of follow the crosswalk.

 _'Now you're just a retard,'_ her thoughts hummed as she followed the concrete path made for people to stroll about in an orderly fashion. No ignorant fool, she assumed, would want to cross the street in heels even if their mind was drugged with whatever. And, the fact of the matter was, her boots would gain more ground with her brisk strides than the half-Latina's drunken-stumbles in heels; Jade briefly considered if Tori did drink at all before realizing that, of course, any teenager would at new years given the chance.

Disciplining her priorities to the matter at hand - and not some random ideas influenced by the flu - Jade trekked on, processing through her head how exactly the conversation would go down.

See, first she'd go up and explain that she was unbelievably sick with something to the degree that hadn't hit her in years. So, with that, there'd be an excuse as of why she was mute. And then, and then the follow up question.

Her strides slowed, brows furrowing at the thought.

_'Thanks but no thanks... I'm flattered... It's not you it's me...'_

Phrases continuously splayed across her mind though nothing was able to click. How exactly was one to say to someone - to a girl who was in their friend group but not exactly their friend - that they didn't want any part of the relationship? "I'm not gay," Jade muttered firmly, sniffing as she made her strides more hesitant by the second. It still sounded too much for whatever she'd gotten into. She palmed her forehead, outwardly cursing as she asked why this wasn't with a random dude who'd been giving her looks at school. That way, she could've easily slammed the door in his face then go back to wallowing about how _nobody_ returned her resolution.

She decided that her resolution was too much of a responsibility and to be done next year.

Then again, she wouldn't be with the gang next year which is why she started the resolution anyway. Jade kicked the lone rock in the middle of the sidewalk, glaring out as it skirted across the street, rocketing towards another patch of dirt. _'Well you got your wish. Someone liked your text,'_ she internally managed before she scoffed a laugh. Of course it had to be Tori, the same girl who she had a relationship of balancing boards; there was the cat on one side and then the bop-bag on the other.

Both polar opposites, both on each end. Of course, within the few weeks prior to the party both shuffled to the center, finding an equilibrium to battle out their differences and _not_ fall.

And then now they're too close. While the board remained stable, the two tremble in the new found tension since the bop-bag had gone back upright then forward. The game of seesaw had just been that: a game to be enjoyed. Each had their parts to continue the motions, no matter the context. And the seesaw now stayed and remained a perfectly balanced beam, Jade too afraid to move for fear of either falling off in the sudden movement.

 _'Well shit, never mind thanks but no thanks,'_ Jade mentally swore, _'How could you do this? How could you ruin my only friendship by actually liking me?'_ Friendship stuck in her mind, ironing itself against the cranial cavity's walls. Perhaps, in hindsight, she should've agreed to it. There was a small possibility that where their line was drawn wouldn't be so confusing; they brawled far too much and scuffed up the chalk that ran between the two.

The thespian staggered briefly in the soft grass, loosing track of her footing. Eyes wondered around, finding a small puddle with familiar heel prints flooding from it. "Taxi..." Jade breathed, nodding carefully before she stepped back. Immediately she yelped, quickly finding herself on the ground with a dreadful chill racing along her body. The goth staggered from the freezing puddle, shivering violently; the cat, now literally, was all soaking wet.

First there was the flu.

Then there was nobody acknowledging her resolution.

Third was finding Tori on her doorstep and then admitting the most shattering thing she heard in a while.

And fourth of all, she's mulling around frantically trying to find the girl.

And lastly, she slipped in a puddle.

Jade cursed. Jade swore. Jade spat out every variations of obscenities she knew at the new, young year; it was an infant, barely two hours old and already it was the worst year she could imagine. Though, as she admitted, at least Tori was safe, in a cab. Safe and warm... Unless it wasn't a cab.

The thespian jittered in a panic, eyes widening as she pictured Tori, locked in the back seat of some pervert, pressing herself against the leather as buckles echoed in the car. What _else_ could happen to some girl trying to hitchhike with a short dress, all alone?

Hands raced across her pockets, Jade twirling around for her phone; she had left it at home. " _Damn_ it," she spat, strides abruptly twisting back around before she rocketed towards the house.

**. . .**

_'No answer. No answer. No answer. Voicemail..._

_'Off,'_ her thoughts concluded as she remained huddled within her large comforter, drenched clothes strewn at the other side of her room. She thanked - for the first time - her fluffy pink bear pajamas that Cat had bought her one year as they hugged her body nicely.

She stared at the screen, sighing in defeat. Tori - or who ever - had switched it off. Unease began to bubble at her chest, tempting her to phone the police. Though, she hesitated; that wouldn't work. They'd probably attempt to calm her hysterical whines - if the flu made her get to _that_ point - and tell her to wait a little longer. Of course, bubbling obnoxiously wouldn't allow Jade to think straight and see that Tori had been gone for ten, fifteen minutes. That was just barely enough time to get home.

 _Home_ , of course. There was the home phone in her contacts, after all. Jade thumbed through nibbling her bottom lip as cheeks warmed at the reasoning behind having the home phone; not to call to see if Tori wasn't being molested in a car, surely, but just to see if anybody else uninvited was there. _'Hey, Mr. V, How's it going? Are the guys there yet? Yeah, Tori totally forgot to tell me what time to come over. I know, teenagers, right?'_ It was an answer she practiced from time to time, though it was never put in use.

Pressing the screen, she waited anxiously for the call to be picked up. Jade nearly scowled, cursing her luck with _anybody_ responding to her phone when..."Hello?"

It was Tori's mom, Holly, as Jade recalled. Though, from the sound of it, she didn't seem to want any time over the phone.

"Hi," she murmured, "Look, I'm really, really sorry to bother you. It's Jade, Tori's...friend from school. I just wondered if she was back yet."

Even with the short pause, Mrs. Vega was quick to reply. "Yes," her voice was tainted with hesitance, "She just got back. Why?"

Jade let out a sigh of relief that surely sounded like a drowning wave at Holly's end. "Thank God for that," she breathed, grimacing soon after; no mother wouldn't want to hear that, except for hers.

"Why? What's wrong?" Holly asked quickly.

"Nothing," Jade hasted, adding, "Everything's fine. I just wanted to check she got back safely, that's all."

"Oh." That was quick to convince, Jade furrowed her brows at the phone. "Well, yes, she did. Do you want to talk to her? She might still be awake." There was a layer of doubt that she was still awake, especially with all of the alcohol in her system. As the goth only assumed, anyway.

That, and then there was the fact that she had called four times and was ignored. Jade dropped her consideration rather easily, answering, "No, it's okay. I'll catch her later."

"okay. Well I'll tell her you called. I'm sure she'll appreciate it."

Once again, skepticism practically reeked off of Jade's subconscious. "Okay," she said anyway, "Thanks."

Silence stretched on before Jade took the phone from her ear, about to end the call. "Jade?"

She quickly pressed the phone against her ear. "Yeah?"

"Did something happen at the party?" As Jade decided, at least Holly was more worried than her own mother would ever be in a decade.

She quickly bit her tongue once realizing that honestly answering that she wasn't there would raise numerous questions. "What do you mean?" A short question, playing dumb.

"It's just Tori seemed a little...off when she came in. Like she was upset about something." Good, the question worked.

Even better, Tori's not doing well. _'Great,'_ her thoughts groaned. "Did she say anything?"

"No," came the response, "she just went straight to her room."

There was hesitation on Jade's end. "No, nothing happened," she lied, "We had a great time. I guess she was just tired, that's all."

"Oh. Well, okay then." The call was quickly killed, Jade deciding that she was unable to answer any more questions.

She groaned, shrinking further under the covers. At least Tori was still alive, in her own bed, and that was what really mattered. Her teeth chattered, the puddle looming in her thoughts unremorsefully; at least now she was morally justified to feel sorry and ashamed for herself.

And in the morning, perhaps she wouldn't have the flu's dream running through her system and find that no, nobody had answered to her text by running to her house; no, nobody had out right said that they liked her. A lot. Enough to run in heels.


	3. WWJD?

_Why I stand alone,_   
_A bell is ringing far away._   
_I wonder if you hear,_   
_I wonder if you listening,_   
_I wonder where you are today..._

* * *

_ **No One's Perspective** **-** _

Surely it was true and not just some hoax that students at Hollywood Arts had spread. The fact, Tori knew, was that a night of heavy drinking would lead to brains throbbing against skulls. Though, as the hoax stated (which she very much wished was true) was that the nightmare of drinking wouldn't attack, awake rather, until a limb moved. Before then, there was just peace. Just the quiet atmosphere of the warm, snuggly period under the cozy sheets of the welcomed bed. Move a leg and the events of the night prior may return without remorse, slapping the victim with their own actions. Shift around and the guilt of whatever would surely keep them groaning, nulling on about their aches and pains in the head. But, of course, Tori hadn't moved, since she heard the hoax before.

Well, it wasn't a hoax, not anymore at least.

Her bliss was counted down upon, the sun blinking through her blinds in the most unforgiven way. A bright line was set across her face, directly at her closed eyes. Even so, the blaring light for ten seconds was better than the huge semi about to smash into her.

_'Ten...'_

There was a gentle knock on the door as steps shuffled to the room. "Tori?" her mom called quietly, "Tori? Are you awake yet?"

Tori supposed that she should give a response, even though she might sound dead anyway. "Mmmmmmnnn," she hummed; still no sign of anything crashing into her system. The hoax was doubly correct. So the hangover _wasn't_ allowed to start until the poor victim moved. How pitiful.

_'Nine...'_

"Do you want anything from the store?" Holly continued, Tori debating silently. She lay there, a slug under the sheets with several foods in mind, though all would come from McDonald's or In-N-Out. Anything hot and packed with grease would do well, though she remembered that Holly was still adamant about not having one morsel of fast-food for three weeks. That, as Tori groaned internally, was _her_ resolution.

"Mmmmmmnnn," came the eventual answer.

_'Eight...'_

Holly shifted her weight from outside the door, her keys clinking against her purse. "Trina's making waffles, if you want any."

Waffles wouldn't be a bad choice, so the half-Latina thought. "Mmmmmmnnn."

_'Seven...'_

Steps began to leave the door before halting, doubling back. "Oh," came as an afterthought. Tori - with the least amount of locomotion as possible - perked, intrigued at Holly's next statement. "Someone called for you last night, just after you went to bed."

"Mmmmmmnnn?"

_'Six...'_

"It was that girl from school," she continued, "Jade." Doe eyes flashed open, her whole body jerking from the sun's taunting rays. "I think she just wanted to check on you got in okay."

_'FivefourthreetwooneBANG-_

Her body swung upright, her sluggish brain racking against her skull a second too late. "Oh God," she hissed, her limbs twisting and turning in the sheets as her mother's steps left the hall. So it wasn't a strange dream. She _did_ actually go over to Jade's after the party. Her body slammed against her floor, blanket following as Tori heaved a hybrid between a groan and a yelp. Bolting to her feet, she trudged sporadically to her door.

 _'Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no, no,'_ her thoughts streamed, racing her feet as they trampled to the stairs. Her feet halted at the foot of the stairs, mind throbbing as the distant memory of waltzing over to Jade's and blabbing her feelings all over the place. Her gut dropped venomously as the aroma of waffles clubbed her in the stomach, adding the churning anxiety that nestled within it. Her head, meanwhile, shrunk to resemble a voodoo doll, her brain still buzzing frantically.

Trina and Holly remained busying themselves around the kitchen, conversing about something that Tori didn't much care about.

Although she did care about the fact that whatever beer had resided in her system had possessed her to march across the streets because of some _text_. Great. And then, having to sit there and tell the thespian all of those things, not stopping at the sheer gaze of bafflement on Jade's end.

And now, the best thing that Jade could do, is set her on a cross. Have nails struck through her wrist to slice to her fingers and then, eventually, have her lungs compressed and to be suffocating on wood.

But because Jade's not a Roman some thousand years ago, she'll _definitely_ be doing that with snarky remarks, unmerciful tricks. Might as well go back to Sherwood and be done with the year.

Then again, if Holly wasn't saying anything out of pity, Jade had gone and phoned in out of concern. Or, at the very least, make sure that Tori was well rested and safe before strangling her at school. That could be an option. Though calling someone else's phone to make sure one was alright - she assumed anyway - was most definitely concern.

The writhing panic settling in her stomach chided Tori for having switched off her phone, ignoring the several calls in the taxi. _That_ was the only part she truly recalled from the night prior; the cab smelled strongly of something musty and smoke with a hint of lavender. She hadn't cared then as she remained ignorant of the driver's attempts at conversation - though she had to admit he was trying his best - while turning off her phone.

"Mom?" she croaked, stumbling down the stairs wearily with the continuous war in her head.

"Hi, honey," came a small smile, "Did you want me to pick you up something?"

"No," she shook her head. Big mistake, her brain rattled against the sides. "It's just... When Jade called last night, how did she sound?"

As Holly pursed her lips in thought, Trina briefly picked her head up, eyes drifting over towards the two before going back to the breakfast. "Well, she was very polite," she nodded, adding, "She didn't sound at all like the awful girl you're always complaining about."

Tori very nearly mentioned the fact that Jade was one of the best actresses at the school, neck and neck with Beck.

"No," she mumbled, careful to not scratch her throat with her own voice, "I mean, how did she _sound_? What kind of mood was she in?"

"I don't know," Mrs. Vega shrugged, "Concerned? Worried?"

"Really?"

"Wait, did you two have a fight again?" Tori remained quiet as hands went to hips, not a good sign. "You know, Tori, I've told you about letting your temper run away with you. You get that from your father's side."

That point as been often debated.

"Me? I don't have a temper!" she whined, "She's always the one who-"

"Ah, ah," Holly scolded, "Nobody likes a tattletale. You leave the poor girl alone."

"But-"

"I _said_ , 'nobody likes a tattletale.' Now," Holly sighed, readjusting her bag to her shoulder, "did you want anything?"

Tori sighed, shaking her head as she muttered, "No." Pouting, she slumped on the counter as the garage door shut closed. Of course she couldn't say anything other than what her mother wanted. The woman wouldn't care if the world had gone to shit, leaving outrageous Vikings to bunk with them so long as they helped prepare the dishes, wiped their feet, minded their manners and called her "ma'am."

Trina, setting her own plate of waffles to the side, remained unconvinced. She, after all, knew trouble when it bustled out of bed and rolled down the stairs in a horror. "So what did you fight about?" she asked, nonchalantly.

Resting her head against the cool countertop - which didn't feel all that bad - Tori growled, "We didn't fight."

" _Right_."

"We didn't!" Tori defended hotly, "It's just, complicated."

"It must be," Trina drawled, "Because you went out to a party she wasn't even at, and then for some reason she's calling you at one in the morning, and now you're in a foul mood." Her observations led Tori to close her eyes, the eldest softening her gaze. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Tori looked at her. She was always surprised buy the way Trina could switch her personality on and off, be brusque and uncaring one minute, and then almost like a real sister the next. She thought about confessing everything to her, and then she thought about whether she really wanted the entire school and most of L.A to hear about her indiscretion, and decided against it. "No," she sighed, "I'm going back upstairs."

Scoffing, Trina muttered, "Suit yourself."

**. . .**

The waters of the thrashing storm had finally ceased, leaving Tori calm under her sheets.

She mulled over her decision thrice now, finally deciding that what she had done was - to say the least - destructive. Firstly, keeping the situation at hand to themselves was important, since she didn't want her face plastered on everybody's mind with some other words and phrases she couldn't even imagine. A roll of the eyes would accompany it, surely. And then there was the friendship. Of course, she had lit a match, expecting a fantastic show of fireworks and whatnot from the initial spark. But that didn't happen in the slightest. Instead of having a spectacular show - like the romantic dweeb she was - she stayed true to her state; Tori Vega, by announcing her feelings spontaneously with alcohol in her system, had started a huge forest fire, unable to be controlled.

Well...damn.

And, to make that fact worse, it was the one forest that she craved for when she first set food on Hollywood Arts, accepting that the school would be hers. Trina was fine, though being sisters with different mindsets, secrets would have her squirming until one of them became a _late_ sister. Andre was perfect, really, though there was never that understanding that same-sex friendships often had. Cat, bless her heart, was a good friend. Nice to talk to. Though, admittedly, there were many times when Tori had needed to break away from the nonsense, something which Cat didn't seem to know how to tame herself. Beck, cool guy, was alright. But like Andre, that connection wasn't there; with him it was even worse since he wasn't quite the man that Andre was.

Tori shivered, shaking her head as she just referred to her best friend as a man.

And so, she just needed a friend who she'd be able to come to emotionally and not be completely wrecked. One person was able to stay true to that, and that one wasn't Robbie and his bottle-nippled locker, but Jade with scissors impaled through it.

Unlikely, sure, though the scissors did listen, and didn't make their way to hearts. Just a tad bit under the skin and driven into bones, but not the heart or anything other that resided with emotions.

But whenever Tori managed to breach passed the walls, she found a person who was easy to talk to and _understood_. And it wasn't hard to know why; both had difficult parents, both had to do things on their own and both had to deal with Trina. Tori more so than Jade, though both had to. There was that union, at the very least.

A union which was to be restarted every-single-day. The bickering never halted, the taunts never ended though they always steered clear from emotions. Always about food, or about ideas, or even about talent. Breaking up? No, that was for Tori to awkwardly pat on Jade's shoulder as she cried into the only knitted pillow by a certain grandma. Kicked from singing at karaoke? Nope, that was for Tori to wear a mask only to dance about, easily becoming the victor. What about devious boyfriends (who only lasted a few weeks)? Nah, just a forewarning (which was, admittedly, ignored initially on Tori's part) from Jade.

That unity, right there, was then shattered in the hands of Tori, the small flame taking over the card-tower strategically built by the two.

All because she said she liked her.

Liked her enough to run in heels.

"Dang it," Tori grumbled. That didn't seem to cut it. "Fuck," she breathed, skewing her eyes shut. " _Fuck_."

And did she even like her? Surely not, especially with everything at the party. Oh how alcohol screwed with everything thus far in the year. And even then, did she even like _girls_? That...was a possibility. The Sherwood girls did somewhat turn her head around, until she remembered they wore a pound of make-up. Amanda Goodman hadn't though. With that in mind, Tori sped through her imagination, gathering everything in her power to imagine trudging through the night in five inch heels to say anything.

Wouldn't have happened.

In reality, she couldn't ever pinpoint one person where she had this level of intimacy with. Not even her mother, though why would she tell her mom about anything regarding boys, never mind _this_ whole mess.

She scowled to herself, a palm to her forehead. She needed to talk to Jade, that was it. Her phone stared blankly back in her hand, no sign of concern from Jade as she had demonstrated that night. Or, better yet, that morning. Of course, at that time, Tori blatantly ignored her, dwelling in her own dilemma. And the tables had turned over the course of hours. Jade was ignoring her, she was sure of it. But out of what? Was she hurt, annoyed, amused or horrified? Tori simply couldn't muster any idea, not having heard first hand Jade's voice from the call.

 _'God, Tori, you're so stupid,'_ she internally scolded herself.

Nevertheless, she'd call at later. That wasn't a bad idea, was it? Calling now would mean the possibility of waking the sleeping bear, which wasn't smart on its own. But she would call and explain everything. Explain that...well, she still needed to figure that out. But she'd call, definitely, most definitely call.

Yes, most definitely.

She nodded off, roaming about her room for something to keep her mind busy.

**. . .**

Water beat like the hands on the clocks around the house, the half-Latina sulking in her self-built misery. The bottles stacked around her weighed a ton each, the tap costing her muscles to flex as she sat at the bottom of the tub, constantly blinking the water from her eyes. Her knees were accepting of the arms wrapped around them, as they allowed her to walk miles from the party, to Jade's, then from Jade's to a nearby street.

Realistically, she knew that she was being a bit...dramatic to say the least. There was somebody in the world who was being killed, surely. At the same time, there was somebody having their first _whatever_ with their own crush. Even though Tori didn't have anything towards Jade and it was all a misunderstanding.

Even so, she still shrunk at the latter.

There were several things, no doubt, that would happen. All of which were not really wanted. The next day she'd step into the main hall, only to find the other five - Jade among them - snickering as she made her way to the locker. Or, perhaps, the first thing she'd see is a hurtling fist before her nose snapped. Or, being less violent and reputation-demeaning, then she wouldn't talk to the thespian. Not on her choice, perhaps (alright, some of it her own choice) but Jade would be distant. She'd stare at Tori with a sneer and skirt off, defining her blank expression from before as a sinister loathing and the two _didn't_ \- in fact - have a friendship.

Tori sighed, ignoring the thumping against the door, Trina wishing to go back in. Tori did, after all, shove her sister from the bathroom and lock the door.

But the best thing to happen would be that nothing would happen to her nose and nobody would know. Jade, even, would still be by her side, if not a foot away. That would be...acceptable.

She pressed her lips firmly against her knees, cradling herself into a smaller ball. The very best thing to happen would involve more feelings. She didn't have a crush mind, but Jade could, at least, lean in and say, _'I like you too,'_ before...doing something. Smile? That'd be nice. If Jade would lean in, say that and then smile would be quite nice. She had such a lovely smile whenever-

 _'No, that won't happen,'_ her thoughts snapped, leaving Tori back to square one.

What would she do? What _could_ she do? No, she knew what she could do, which was a lot that would lead to several different outcomes.

Either way, it was up to her and that was that. In the mist of her thoughts, she recalled a bumper sticker she'd spotted on the way over to some camp. It read _WWJD?_ in bolded, red letters. From the pictures set behind the letters, she knew it was. _What Would Jesus Do?_ it had asked. Better yet, it asked, _What Would Jade Do?_

Tori quietly snickered, briefly imagining Jade with long white robes and a fake beard standing tall and mighty with a great light flashing behind.

Once her quiet laughter settled down, she sighed. If the roles had been switched, and Jade had come over, leaning against the door frame as she had done before, eyes glancing out once the door was open. Tori would greet her and then Jade would make the confession. And then, with her reputation, two things were probable at that point.

Either she'd say it bluntly, expecting nothing else. _'Yeah? What of it?'_ she'd ask. Then, Jade would continue forth rashly, confidently dragging the gawking half-Latina up the stairs before taking a first away. _Nicely_ , Tori blushed upon, smacking her forehead.

Reality, on the other hand, stated that Jade would deny it. She would deny the _shit_ out of it, milking her opportunities dry. That fact was clear as day when Saint Peter possessed her soul, seeming to ferment in Jade's devious smirk and mischievous stare as she played on Tori's stolen phone (helping the half-Latina get passed levels forty through seventy-eight of Grumpy Gerbils, something which Tori didn't know she was good at) whilst nonchalantly disregarding the signer's confrontation.

Denial, that was a simple task. Sure she'd have to own up to the fact that she _did_ everything, though mean what she said was completely different. Tori was drunk, as she reasoned, and drinking led to terrible decisions. All she had to do was call, and then laugh it off at school, and then just go back to how they were.

Easy.

Within a minute, the curtains were drawn and Tori stepping from the shower. She jerked open the door to find Trina scowling, a line of mascara from her eye to ear. Tori only shrugged passed, going into her room and to her phone. Without a second thought, she stared at Jade's number on the screen, nibbling at her bottom lip. In five seconds she'd call. With her mental clock set, she began, _'Five...four...three...two...wait.'_ Too short, much too short for her liking.

 _'Ten...nine...eight...seven...six...five...four...three...two...'_ By the time zero had made its appearance in her skull, the screen blanked out, having enough of her antics. Countdowns her stupid, as she determined. Eyes wavered towards her clock, reading _10:39._ Eleven o'clock would be the proper time, definitely. She'd calm herself from the shower and just call and everything would be done with.

Perfect.

**. . .**

Not perfect. Definitely _not_ perfect. Who would call at eleven exactly? It was too formal, as she decided. _'Ten-past- No, eleven-past so I can make a wish,'_ Tori had internally promised.

Her wish was to go at twenty-past. Although, by then, she had misplaced her phone due to Trina ordering her to tend to her recent, bursting pimple. At that moment, she'd wanted to be calling Jade and not dealing with her sister's zits. At half-past she found her phone and took in a deep breath.

"Trina!" she called down the stairs.

"What?" came an annoyed answer. She still hadn't forgiven her for the mascara.

"Could you help me?" Tori asked.

Heavy thumps sounded across the house, Trina soon hovering in the doorframe, eyes blaring out with zero sympathy. "What?"

"Could you just dial Jade's number for me?"

Trina blinked at the offering hand, brows furrowing. "Me? Why?"

"My hands are...dirty," Tori murmured lamely.

"You just took a shower," Trina deadpanned, glancing at the towel wrapped around Tori, wet hair over one shoulder.

"Please?"

Apparently that was all that took to get Trina's help. She jerked the phone from the half-Latina's grasp, firmly punching the screen as if the phone was at fault. "It's ringing."

"Give it to me!" Tori abruptly slammed into her sister, wrestling Trina out the door. "Go! Go!" The eldest yelped in defiance, the phone then rocketing towards the bed. Tori, ignoring the slam at her side and Trina's irritable stomps back down the stairs, hurled herself towards the bed. The towel, miraculously, remained modestly clinging to her body. No answer came, leaving Tori to inhale the air she had needed for the few moments of waiting. Tapping the phone once again, the same result came to be.

 _'Thank God for voicemail,'_ she internally cheered, picking herself up from the bed. A better plan, as she figured - it didn't require having to go through another conversation like or worse than the night prior.

 _'Hey, hi. It's Vega. I mean_ _Tori,'_ she began, thumbing over her bookshelf, _'Look, I'm really sorry about last night, I was at the party and I'd had a couple of drinks - well, more than a couple really, I was kinda drunk - and I was all mellow and fuzzy, and when you texted, I just felt really bad for you, you know, stuck over there on your own, sick and everything, and I think I got a little...confused...'_

As her thoughts rallied, it was a good start. She nulled towards her door, leaning her back against it.

 _'I mean you do, sometimes, don't you, about how you feel about things? Like when you're in a night club dancing and you tell people this is the best song ever, because you're just lost in the moment, and you think you want to dance to that one song for the rest of your life. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is,'_ she took in a deep breath, _'I said a whole bunch of things that made sense at the time, but now I realize were totally, I mean, totally, not true. So I know it was pretty embarrassing, and I don't want things to be weird at school, so I was kind of hoping that we could maybe catch up tomorrow and have a laugh about it, or go for a coffee, or maybe you could just hit me with something if it makes you feel better, and then we can forget all about it._

 _'Okay, bye,'_ she finished, blinking towards her closet.

A long beep sounded in her ear, dutifully ending the attempted call. Tori realized that her mouth hadn't opened once, prompting her to dial once again. She waited a few seconds, finding a rather quick answer to her needing call.

**. . .**

There was no equilibrium in the bedroom, under the sheets. She shook, trembling as chills raced down her spine all while sweat beaded from her forehead, even if she didn't want it to. Her throbbing head pounded against her skull, having been fed up with the constant naps throughout the day, wanting some fresh air. Though the immense amount of painkillers in her system kept her rooted to her deathbed, Jade groaning tiredly.

Her thoughts debated how much she actually took. It could have been one in between each nap, or just three all together. Maybe there was a fourth, she'd long since forgotten.

Determination had fueled her throughout the day, keeping Jade's irrational-flu thoughts on school. Perhaps they'd be working on a writing assignment, that would most certainly be enjoyable. And that was certainly not probable. She heaved a wracking cough, spitting obscenities towards the sheets. Even with the school work at most being a time-filling activity, she remained adamant about getting her limbs back and moving, air clear of mucus and snot.

She needed to talk to her, Jade had decided. There was no call to let her nerves rest, though her nerves was everywhere at the moment anyway.

Closing her eyes, the goth forced her body into another nap, dreading the night to come which wouldn't give any sleep. Clothing and other various items were left scattered on the floor, her phone being one of them. As her vision blurred, she heard the distant vibrations of the device faintly, not having the mental capacity to move a centimeter, never mind the few feet.

It blinked briefly after a few moments, the battery dying itself.

**. . .**

"Shit," she hissed, glancing down at the unresponsive phone besides the "annoying bitch-lady," as Tori called the cell-service thereafter. Now Jade was pulling a new-year-Tori.

The outrageous idea of walking over to the West's residence like the night before sifted through her other notions, though it wasn't as tempting as it had been. For one, the sun and the scattered clouds had glared through her window disapprovingly, and her senses weren't drowning in the glorious bottles from before. She began thinking about the world before phones, staring at her hands dumbly. Pencils, pens, markers and everything in between had breached their way through, Tori nodding in thought. She could write like people have been doing for centuries.

Now what was that thing called again? With her head still thumping against her conscious, she couldn't think of it. _'Telegraph...telephone...gram...card...le-'_

Of course! How can she be so ignorant. A letter. That was it; she'd go in and write it, take it over to Jade's house, slip it in the mail or on the car's windshield. And then curiosity would take hold of Jade and she's read it and then...something would happen.

It didn't matter now.

Tori sped back down the stairs to quickly snatch all of the paper she could grasp from the printer and then a pencil or two before racing back up the stairs. Trina swore at her, complaining how she had to move to see the television screen and replay a minute of the show. At her desk, with her heart pulsing rapidly, Tori set her hand to the paper, not having the faintest clue as of where to start. How would any letter start?

That idea, she found, was easier to answer. Two letters were scrawled on the paper, attempting to douse the flames set the night prior, attempting to control the spark that went array.

_Dear Jade..._


	4. A Firefighter's Claim

**_No One's Perspective_ ** **_-_ **

Even with the light jacket hugging the grey, cotton t-shirt, Jade still felt too cold for her own good. But, as she supposed, her body was moving, her lungs and nose were clear (relatively) of all the mucus and snot from before. There wasn't any sneezing that morning, _yet_ , but coughing was something that had racked her brain.

Nevertheless, she shut the door behind her, locking it before trudging on to the driveway. She rubbed her eyes wearily, blinking in the sunlight she hadn't seen for a day. Though the sun didn't seem pleased to see her, shining all too bright rays at her eyes. Still, it wasn't terrible to find herself outside. Once her vision did adjust to the bright sun, Jade halted, furrowing her brows towards the car. Nothing was dented along the black sides, or shattered with the tinted windows.

There was a long, white envelope stuck to the windshield wiper, however.

Her mind immediately managed a ticket of some sort before she shook her head; the police didn't care about envelopes so long as they got the message across. That, and Jade wasn't a bad driver by any means - better than Beck even. She strolled slowly towards the letter, thoughts ramming against her skull profusely. Perhaps one of the neighbors? Couldn't be - she hadn't played with any of the kids in years. The gardener or part-time maid were two very possible choices, until she had remembered that neither were due to come until a few weeks.

She snatched the letter from the window, her door soon opening as well. Sitting in the driver's side with a leg out, the door still ajar, Jade thumbed over the paper. There wasn't a name, though she'd imagine she'd know soon enough. In a flash she pulled out her scissors, tearing through the top with ease. Tossing her envelope in the back with her bag, she unfolded the letter.

_Dear Jade,_

As expected, it was easily recognizable. After all, Jade _had_ studied her handwriting once the first attempt at designing a locker (before the shining lights and rather sentimental statement replaced the whiteboard) remained for a day or two.

_So, as you know, on New Years I went to your house and said some things. I was drunk and stuff, too, from the party and your text just caught me off guard. And it's not that I don't like you, yeah, but it wasn't true._

Her ghost of a smile dropped, brows slanting in concentration. "What?" she hissed lowly, folding her arms as a chill raced across her skin.

_Now I want us to be friends and all that, you know, but I don't like you like that. I was confused and felt sorry for you being sick and alone on New Years and I did try to call yesterday but you didn't pick up... Then again, I did ignore you that first night so it isn't that bad, right? Anyway, I just hope that we can just brush this off and then just keep this between us for now since it was stupid and not on purpose. So, yeah..._

_So, friends?_

She hadn't even needed to read the signature before she abruptly tore through the words, jaw clenching. "What-the- _fuck_ Vega?" Jade spat, whipping the two pages to the passenger's side. Any frigid nip that had blushed against her skin was long gone, replaced by a scorching aggression. "You better be at school today, I _swear_ ," she breathed, slamming the door to the side of the car before ramming the key into the ignition. The engine roared to life, wheels soon trekking down the driveway and down the road. Gripping the steering wheel until her knuckles felt they would burst, Jade scoffed haughtily.

"Brush it off my ass."

**. . .**

The engine rumbled, prompting the half-Latina to remain in the quite comfortable car. Of course, it was soon shut off, Trina tearing her sister from the steering wheel as Tori wouldn't let go. "I swear to _God_ Tori! Get out of the car before we're late!" she snapped, the youngest shaking her head.

"No! Not happening- Nada, nope!" Tori growled firmly.

"If you don't get out of the car I'll be arrested for child endangerment," Trina hissed.

"It's not hot out!"

"So _what_? Get out of my car!" With a final huff, Tori unlatched herself from the leather handle, glaring down at her red, flaring skin.

She shifted with her bag, mumbling, "Look what you did to my hands..." Trina only sped towards the school, the car blinking moments later. Scowling quietly, Tori shuffled behind her sister, dulling going through what was possible for the classes that day. There was calculus that probably had a worksheet (might get the mind going), then Singing 102 which would possibly had singing (always fun), Theatre which would have Sikowitz do whatever (intimidating), and then there would be a fist going straight to her face when she walked in (that would be quite the- wait _what_?!).

 _'Oh my god, she's going to punch my nose in!'_ her thoughts spun wildly, doe eyes widening. She scrambled around as the hand reached forward, steps then stumbling back through the door. Tori yelped once the firm, unmerciful grasp clung to her shoulder, wrenching her back. She spat several unintelligible statements, the students around only staring at the two with gaping expressions. Her feet struggled to find the ground properly, the person dragging her by the heels (which scuffed the ground with her frantic motions).

And then, all was dark. Tori opened her eyes to find that no, she wasn't six feet under but was in the janitor's closet. Slowly, she picked herself up, shaking from the sudden ordeal. The door closed from behind, a second click following.

The outline of Jade stood at the doorway, arms folded. "So...did you get the letter?" Tori tried softly, hesitant to actually move from her crouch. Jade remained silent, glowering down at the half-Latina with piercing eyes. "Er...right. Uh, so can we go and get ready for class?"

"Why did you do it?" Her voice came out rough. The singer paused, noting the deep husk before her, Jade's voice rattling sickly.

"Are you oka-"

"I don't _need_ your sympathy Vega! Answer the question," the goth spat, practically roaring in the small room even with the weak volume of her voice. "Why the hell did you write it?"

Doe eyes merely blinked, unsure as of what to do besides wring her wrists. Jade was bathed in shadows, only her outline bright with the hallway's light. "Wh...what do you mean?" she asked quietly. She jolted back as two pages were forced at her chest, her back smacking against the wall. Tori grunted, finding pale eyes looming above her, her expression still masked with grey. With a shaken hand, she grabbed the torn letter, biting her bottom lip at the former one page. "Why did you rip it?" she asked quietly, blinking to her side.

Arching a brow - Tori could tell that much with the dim light or intuition - Jade scoffed hotly. "Because what you wrote is fucking _bullshit_!"

"How do you know that?" Tori growled defensively.

" _How_? Maybe because I wasn't fucking drunk and I do actually remember everything!" Jade wheezed through a terrible cough, adding, "And what the hell are you doing running away anyhow? I spent a damn hour trying to get to you!"

She felt her train of thought halt, Tori furrowing her brows. "W-why? You're sick and...what?"

"You think I didn't know that?" Jade snapped, "I fell into a fucking puddle because of you being a coward."

"Excuse me?"

"You're a fucking coward!" the goth snarled.

Her mother's voice soon left her skull, a small string snapping in the back of her head. "Would you just leave me alone? I made a mistake, okay? You can at least just leave it be and realize I don't want anything to do with it!"

"Seemed that way when you waltzed to my house..."

Tori stumbled over her next words, settling with a firm growl. Shaking her head, she spat, "Well, I-I was drunk and I felt bad-"

"Bull _shit_ ," Jade snarled, "Don't think about convincing me that you didn't mean it. You were drunk, you _did_ mean it. Nobody comes up with a long list and lie about it with some shit they got at a party!" At that, Tori had imagined a scornful sneer above her, at her silent answer. "All I want from you is just to be _honest_ , for the love of God," Jade continued roughly; she really sounded like death as it rattled out.

"And you're going to force it out of me by kidnapping me into this little box?" Tori shrilled, "Maybe I didn't want to do anything because you're just so- so-"

Scoffing, the goth snarled, "'So' _what_?"

"You're just a big tyrant!"

At the pause on Jade's end, Tori shrunk to the reeking stench of mockery. "Wow, what a vocabulary," Jade sneered.

"Well...I-" the half-Latina stammered, gulping once she realized the cat's cage around her, pressing against her back. "Yeah..." she mumbled weakly.

"Right. Now back to literature, or that trash that was stuck to my windshield," Jade spat, adding, "What the hell were you thinking?"

"'What the hell was I thinking?'" Tori tried her hand at taunting - Jade stiffened, hissing a few choice words that had been born from a sailor's tongue. "Maybe that I didn't want anything to do with someone so difficult like you and that _I-felt-bad_ and that was it!"

The closet grew quiet after the claim, the singer finding herself momentarily strong in her stance against the sturdy shadowed figure before her. She felt the cold gaze right at her own stare, though Tori was determined to _not_ have anything get out of hand - if it wasn't late already. Students passed by the closet without so much pausing as they had already shoved the erratic "kidnapping" to the back of their subconscious.

" _Oh_."

It was a guttural, derisive noise kicked from the bottom of Jade's throat. And then she continued on; "I see," she growled, "So you think that pity will get you out of this?" A step edged closer towards the other teen, promptly knocking Tori against the wall once uncomfortably shifting against the trash bin.

The light flashed on, spooking the two girls. Tori rubbed her shoulder, blinking towards the switch as Jade rubbed her eyes. Once Tori turned back, she nearly winced at the sight. Jade stood with her skin a ghostly shade, expression steely with hard eyes glaring right at her. Long raven strands fell oddly gracefully to her shoulders, though what grace was conveyed through a baggy jacket wasn't anything to be admired. Jade remained as ferocious as ever, her temporary (hopefully, anyway) livid nature steaming off of her gnawing jaw.

"If you pity me so much," she graveled on, "Then why don't you just piss off and leave _me_ alone?"

Tori - as she had once desired to be a nurse - nearly asked how Jade even got out of bed that morning before the door was swung open, only to shut harshly a second later. It took several minutes and a janitor for the half-Latina to realize just how late she was for geometry.

She just hoped there wasn't a surprise test.

Or some scissors to mark her locker.

Both were possible though, as she concluded, her mind flashing back towards the slice of aggression in those eyes of hers.

**. . .**

The lesson droned on and on, beckoning the classmates who _were_ paying any sort of attention to join the stage. Tori, though, just sat, picking at her loose string from her jeans. Jade huddled in the corner of the front row, shaking miserably in her hoodie. Sikowitz glanced at the two, not having enough argument to have them come up; after all, they had participated more than the rest of the class beforehand.

That was all the distress that crossed his mind, his lingering thoughts landing towards the estrange nature of Andre in a lousy bear hat with Cat giggling under a bucket.

Jade, however, did feel more. The heat of the janitor's closet was stuck to her skin, unable to be shaken. The aching weight of sleep rested between her shoulder blades, urging her eyelids to close.

Meanwhile, Tori remained in her seat, eyes set firmly to the window leading to nothing but a brick wall. She had pictured herself throwing her body against it, only to escape the few, silent glares shot at her. And, possibly, she could contemplated the letter on the way down to the shrubbery strewn between the two buildings.

The ticking of the clock could have never been any slower.

**. . .**

Keys hit the granite top noisily, the stomps of the teen leading to her bedroom. She paused momentarily, furrowing her brows at the distant shuffling. Nearing the stairs, pale eyes maneuvered towards the couch, finding a woman rummaging through the cushions. She glared at the grey blouse before striding up the steps, not waiting to find identical eyes switch towards the landing. Although, she did feel them scrap against her calves.

With the door shut tightly, Jade plopped her body against the sheets, groaning into her pillow. The busy hive throbbed against the confines of her skull, her sickly aches shrugging the comforter over her shoulders. Her eyes were falling close as her skin prickled - the television sounded the floor down, a drama which Jade resented resuming.

One eye creaked open, finding her alarm clock.

_4:37._

Shifting to the other side, Jade only hoped that sleep would come soon and take her away to wherever.

It surely had, guiding her by the hand to an extraordinary firework extravaganza. Though, malfunctions occurred early on, setting off one to the ground, right below her feet. Jade felt the blistering skin around her toes, irritating her calves.

Soon, she would be drowning in them, she knew. And (since she often lucid dreamed) a firefighter with a grand smile and strong cheekbones pulled her out.

If only that were the case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologizes for the updating across the board; I forget with this site it seems. XD But anyway, with this story, starting with this chapter, this will be my work. Now Sev has written the prompt for this one and the next, but after that, not as much.
> 
> Just to clear things up.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!  
> :)


	5. A Spiral Up(?)hill

**_No One's Perspective_ ** **_-_ **

She mulled over her breakfast for the third morning in a row, her mother at the table bobbing her head to music. Once Tori couldn't take anymore pop music, she threw away the rest of her cereal and made her way up the stairs.

Her venture didn't go far.

"Tori?"

"Yes Mom?" She turned at her heels unenthusiastically. "What is it?"

Holly glanced up, answering a simple, "Well you just have been in a mood lately. What's wrong? Is it Jade again or Rex pestering you?"

Deciding to go with the latter, Tori answers so. "And he won't even stop with his stupid puppet and it's driving me insane," she grouched, once having created an absurd story which only could top the ice-burg of reality.

"Well that's too bad," Mrs. Vega replied as she went back to her coffee. Tori glared to the side at her mother's comfort; it would've been impossible for that mangy puppet to have brought her as low as chucking half of her Captain Crunch away.

At first, when the confrontation on the first day of school was made, nothing happened except awkward group meetings and Jade creating lame excuses to not join in the festivities of gang at Tori's house - not that the half-Latina minded. Though, as she admitted to herself, her short-fuse would get the best of her and let out some comments during an improv session, leading towards the two arguing as a cat and a dog.

Unnecessary, she had chided herself once Trina had brought her home (she was still on break), though it _did_ happen and it wasn't a dream. And thus started their long dispute, the half-Latina aggravated when finding all of her pictures of Katy Perry in her locker gone, only to be found in their places once again the next morning. And with the scent of charcoal and the black, crumbling outlines of the pop-star, Tori found herself snapping at Jade as she taunted her way past. During a lunch the following days, half of her lunch was "donated" to the thespian. And then _The Midnight Run_ , a play Tori had been looking forward to, had finally come. Though, word-of-mouth had spread that Cat had gotten lost in the library - there was _a_ cat lost in there, and it was as mean and snarky as the girl who claimed the lead role. Tori felt a fire light inside her, giving a few words of her mind to Jade once she had smirked her way from the Black-Box Theatre, though nothing else.

And when she found herself standing there, her mother's humming to the music drowned, Tori groaned at the thought of the torment - possible torment - coming that day.

She debated whether or not a puppet could even steal a burrito.

"Tori?" She twisted about, finding her mother with the car keys in her hands. "I'm going to go to the store, do you want me to drop you off?"

"Yeah, okay," the daughter obliged, heading to the door with her bag on the couch. And as she was lost in her thoughts, her mother driving with no words to say, the ride was short. A brief exchange of partings came before she strolled from the vehicle, and then a firm chill with some quiet to nip along her nose. Tori only breathed calmly. It was a peaceful time before reaching the doors.

(Though it can be dually noted that she knew just how dramatic she was about being jumped by Jade, even if it was a possibility. Tori knew that even with the semi-frequent mishaps, she'd be home in one piece, probably without one item that would be burned later _because_ she would've decided to open her mouth. It was unfortunate, really, though expected whenever messing with a bear. Oh why she had to stomp over in heels to meet that sickly bear, she didn't know.)

Once she heard the clips of her shoes against the floor, Tori felt glad that the main hall was filled. It was an odd feeling, actually _wanting_ some pest to be there, though a full room meant no chance of one-to-one contact. If there was any confrontation, it would be one-to-one-to-fifty. She rummaged through her locker, only needing a mechanical pencil (one that she spent an hour desperately trying to find the previous night, only realizing her mistake once it was time for bed). Tori noted to go through the homework with the writing instrument during a class before lunch.

With the shut of her locker, her back grazed the cool surface as other students bombarded past without warning. Just within peripheral, she caught sight of Jade at her locker, scowling as she scoured through her unusually cluttered mess. Whispers were murmured behind her, Tori saw with a inkling of guilt beginning to fasten itself against her chest. Another twist had churned during their slight war - if that was what it was - and the twist's name was backlash. Not the retaliation between the two girls - as that was a different story - though students had begun to whisper about Jade. Perhaps it was from the new batch of freshmen with the idea that the world was theirs' unlike the previous who would always scatter off at the sight of any threat.

Jade hissed before slamming her locker, glaring to her side. The two ninth-graders quieted themselves, eyes surveying Jade's scorn. It was intimidating enough to have them migrate into another hall. She sighed, growing weary of the constant comments and few snickers. Perhaps she could have their heads and bash them against one another's (she did swear to a couple of the gossipers that she would), though being so close to graduating and not having a proper excuse to relay, nothing was done.

She spotted the singer from the corner of her eye, lurking beside her locker. Jade made to step forward though the bell's scream prevented it, prompting her to class.

With more whispers around her, she grumbled, "I swear Vega..."

**. . .**

He chuckled along with her as Beck shook his head towards his friends. "It isn't _that_ funny," he gave a subtle smile.

"Oh sure it is," Andre laughed, "I've never seen you in a little lion costume before! Was it made of cardboard?" Tori was unable to give to the conversation, her memory serving her greatly with the small digital picture of the Canadian's Halloween as a seven-year-old. "And your hair man, _jeez_ , it was a mane of its own!"

"Well, my mom did try to curl it," Beck admitted sheepishly. The trio continued to stroll along the hallway, their minds and stomachs to the food truck awaiting their dollars.

Tori sighed, feeling at ease with nothing having been done during the course of that morning. And with the warm sun washing through the small windows of the doors to the Asphalt Café, and then the slight breeze as other pupils walked inside with lunches at hand, she grinned. Perhaps it was going to be a great day with no worries in the world, as she assumed.

However, a cold grip snatched her wrist, eyes widening whilst the boys continued their coarse. Immediately she knew who it was. "Jade! Let go of me!" Andre and Beck turned to find Tori struggling in the goth's grasp. Jade stared at the half-Latina, very unenthused, as she wriggled in her grip.

"Uh...Tori? She's not doing anything," Andre said pointedly.

Tori halted, glancing at the pale hand which hadn't made any effort to drag her off. "Oh...I suppose not then," she mumbled sheepishly, almost mortified by the goth's stern glare.

Beck cleared his throat at the rather unusual situation, asking, "Jade, what are you doing? You aren't going to _do_ anything, are you?"

"No, I'm just holding Vega's hand because the world is all happy and shit," she gave a false smile before it morphed into an estranged sneer.

"I was just asking," he raised his hands.

Gulping, Tori muttered, "You are planning something, are you?"

"No, just," Jade scoffed, "we need to talk - _now_."

"Going to clear everything?" Andre asked as Jade began to tug Tori away. The singer only shrugged, following the thespian towards the infamous janitor's closet. She stumbled inside as the door clicked - once - behind her, Jade leaning against the window.

"So...you're not going to kill me?" Tori weakly asked.

Rolling her eyes, Jade snapped sarcastically, "No but I have a cloud set up outside to drop on you as soon as you get out." Tori remained silent, watching Jade as if she were to explode at any moment. "What do you think?" she growled, "We're talking to clear this fucking mess up! The one that _you_ brought us both into, by the way."

"You mean when you started sabotaging everything?" Jade quirked a brow, the ebbing guilt of Tori's short-fuse glossing over her consciousness. "Well...whatever. You aren't still going on about that stupid letter, are you?"

"Yes! This whole damn thing has been about that!" Jade threw her hands to her sides, "What else did you expect?"

"I don't know, you being a bitchy gank!" Tori huffed. Alike the other, she had felt worn from the endless dispute over what should've been over nothing. Even so, the half-Latina made for the door.

"Oh no you don't, you aren't eating anytime soon until we get to the bottom of this. You started this whole shit-show with that damn letter and then you mouthing off in Sikowitz-"

"And I'm sorry!" Tori blurted out rather passionately - she wondered if the flicker of the light was due to the volume of her voice.

"Then why are people still blaming me Tori? I'm not the one who lied and all that shit-"

"I _didn't_ lie about it!" she fell back towards her argument, "I said that I felt bad and-"

Jade groaned, spitting, "I don't care and I don't want to hear it! I'm done with this as much as I'm done with you at the moment. I don't want people constantly asking me why the hell I'm up your ass this time! I'm sick of it."

"Then how about I just tell everyone now so we can just get everything back in order then, yeah?" Tori retorted, shoving past the goth.

"Wha- No, _no_ , that's not what I was say- Vega, _Tori_ , that's not what I-" Jade blubbered over her words as the half-Latina stormed across the hall, annoyance, irritancy and stress fueling her steps. "God damn it, that's not what I fucking meant," Jade swore, taking off after her as the doors blew open.

With something like adrenaline pumping through her veins, Tori soon made her way to the gang and the table. "Oh, made it back in one piece!" Andre chuckled as Beck watched her closely.

"What's up?"

"I- I need to tell you something," Tori deflated abruptly, the recent weeks all but a strange, quirky dream as the true nightmare had swarmed over. "So, over break Jade and I- _AAHHHHH FUCK!_ " She scrambled out of the way as a molten liquid shot at her back. Tori whimpered, imagining a trap sprung upon her as she gripped the small of her back, glancing towards her side. A blond widened his eyes with an empty cup of fresh coffee.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry," he immediately apologized before he himself was shoved out of the way by a wave of erratic breaths.

Jade, finding the proper words, found the table standing, Tori easing herself against it. Beck stared at her quietly, Jade glaring right back. "What did you do?"

"N-nothing!" her words staggered with the hiccup of breath, "We just talked, that's it."

"And as soon as you get out here there's coffee all over Tori," Robbie gestured pointedly, the half-Latina watching the goth suspiciously.

"You _did_ plan something! Got me in the janitor's closet to have that kid wait until I was out alone!" Tori accused.

Pastel eyes flashed towards the teen, widened with disbelief. "You are fucking kiddin- That wasn't me! I was all the way over there!"

"Just like how you planned it!" Cat gasped, covering her mouth in shock.

"Cat I swear to God I didn't!" Jade spat, her index prodding the redhead's chest.

"I was going to tell them anyway!" Tori continued, gaining the lot's attention, "You didn't have to do _that_." She winced, her skin searing underneath her loose, grey shirt.

The musician nodded, asking, "Yeah, what were you going to say?"

"I was saying that over the break, Jade and I kinda...got into a little-"

Cutting across the singer, Jade answered, "She went over after the party and decided to come to my house and fuck up my car!" Doe eyes widened, gliding towards the odd savior. "Spent nearly ten grand trying to get it to look normal," she added, scowling towards the half-Latina. Tori only saw eyes with a strange mixture - protection and a sense of betrayal. Culpability had hardened at the base of Tori's stomach, sinking miserably.

"Oh..." Beck blinked, pieces seemingly connecting well. He glanced towards the singer, mumbling, "How much did you do?"

"I uh... I think one of the seats-"

"All of them _and_ the steering wheel. I swear Vega, you give scissors a bad name," Jade sneered. The half-Latina nodded dumbly, conversations brewing around the table as the group settled down. She hissed before her best friend looked over, concern glazing his expression.

"Hey, do you want to go to the nurse and check it out?" Andre asked.

Tori nodded, shifting her bag on her shoulder. As they made to leave, Jade settled on the bench opposite of Beck, their gazes locking. _Why_ _?_ was mouthed. There was only a silent response, a firm glower sent her way. It asked the same question, leaving the half-Latina to mope all the way back inside of Hollywood Arts.

**. . .**

Coughing, Tori sped across the lot, glaring at the fumes coming from a beater. In her mind, buying a used car as a first car was all fine and dandy, until it sputtered grey everywhere. Shaking her head, she continued towards a lane of vehicles, the day having passed by rather slowly - too slowly for her liking. And upon seeing the black set of wheels underneath the desperately wanted - and adamantly claimed - shaded spot from a hanging branch of a rare, thick-trunked tree. (Or at least she assumed any oak tree would've been rare in a busy Los Angeles street.) And to her luck, the Sedan had been stalled by a passerby with a conversation. Perhaps it was over homework or even giving mouth for the interactions for the past few weeks.

Tori felt herself claim guilt over that, even if the loss of a burrito wasn't anything she could control.

As the other senior - who was indeed discussing over schoolwork - left, Tori strode cautiously towards the car. She felt herself balance on a thin line over the Grand Canyon (which she had ought to visit at some point), the probability of failing this stunt very high. Throwing away the spontaneous thought of being run over, Tori cleared her throat. "Jade?"

A glare was sent her way with a firm "What?"

"Well I, erm... I just wanted to thank you and..." she wrung her wrist, watching Jade's stare harden with a brow raised. "Er, thanks...for not telling them that I'm...yeah. But why," she furrowed her brows, "why did you stop me? Why didn't you-"

"I said I didn't want to be this witch that everybody stares at anymore because of something _you_ did," Jade snapped. The half-Latina felt her cheeks warm as the other carried on, her fingers playing with the keys in her palm. "But I never said we had to talk about it to anyone else. I just wanted this to stop because, unlike any other time, it isn't fun. Now," she exhaled sharply, "what exactly do you have in mind to fix this?"

Tori took a moment in thought, Jade rummaging about with her keys, shoving it into the ignition. The car grumbled on as she answered, "I...don't know."

"Well -" Jade slammed her driver door shut, eyes back towards Tori through the open window "- maybe, you should think of something."

"But I don't _know_ ," Tori pleaded, the goth then rolling her eyes.

"You want me to fix it, don't you?" As much as Tori didn't appreciate the taunting, her head reluctantly nodded for her - Jade only groaned. "How about you fix it and do whatever? I don't want to talk, especially with you pissing about thinking I would deliberately get a cup of scalding coffee and throw it at your back - and even _hire_ somebody to do it for me!"

Tori whined on the spot. "You're still mad about _that_? I mean, you did take my burrito-"

"Which was only half of your lunch."

Doe eyes narrowed as the singer added, "And burned my Katy Perry pictures."

"It was some weird fetish anyway."

" _And_ stole the lead role in that play by distracting me!" Tori growled. She raised a finger as Jade was about to retort, muttering, "Don't think about it."

The thespian folded her arms. "It was a small play and you know I did better," she grumbled quietly.

"Heard it," the half-Latina chided pointedly. Sighing, she continued with, "Anyway, you see why I thought that would've been you? You haven't made this any better by doing the- the-"

Jade quirked her lips to the side, murmuring, "Shit?"

"Shut it..." Tori breathed under her breath. "But you've been going around doing these things and why not do it again? I know that you didn't but why wouldn't I and the rest think that immediately after?"

"Because there's several things wrong with that," the goth remarked simply.

Putting her hands to her hips, Tori asked, "Yeah, and what are those?"

"For one, why the hell would I make somebody do something for me if it isn't even their problem?"

"You've done it before-"

"But did they know that _you-lied-with-a-fucking-letter_?" she snapped, Tori shrinking in her stance. "Correction," Jade slowly admitted, "why would I hire anybody when the business is meant just between us? And, another thing, why the hell would I send anybody to the emergency room nevertheless the nurse's office?"

At that Tori had rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue. "You did steal a pint or two of my blood before Robbie's surgery _and_ tried to kill me with those stupid...whatever," she snapped.

"Okay, first of all, I didn't send you to the ER, did I? And also, Bush Daisies," Jade grinned. "And in any case, I thought you would know what they were. Like Jesus, who doesn't know what they're allergic to when it's been in medical records since they were _seven_."

Tori felt her jaw drop, unhinging itself. "Wha... How would you even know that? _I_ don't even know that!"

"Aunt's a nurse at the hospital... Did you really just crash your bike into a floral shop?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Tori felt her back lean against the car. For a moment there was only the murmurs of cars and distant hollers of excited students - there was some event going on after school - filling the air. "I still don't know how to fix this," she breathed.

Jade exhaled calmly, releasing her iron grip from the wheel. "How much do you want to fix it?" Tori lead her gaze to pastel eyes in the side-mirror, her arms still crossed and back against the car's side.

"I still do want to be friends..." Tori replied softly, "And just, put this behind us."

"You're going to have to fix this you know," Jade muttered, adding, "You start by clearing the air and making sure people know that it's on _you_ , not me."

A frown came at that. "Why do I have to do that? Said it wasn't their problem and only between us yourself."

"You weren't there to hear them. Now I can't exactly go punching people in the faces so _you_ go and get them to shut it...otherwise I'll be out of school."

"Can't bear gossip there?"

"More like can't have people pestering me about how I'm cruel or what's going on when I can't say. So, fix that and then we'll get back to whatever," Jade growled. The half-Latina nodded slowly, hesitantly accepting the deal. " _And_ , I don't want to talk before then."

"Wh-"

"I said no talking, get it done Vega."

"Right," she deflated, easing herself off the side of the vehicle.

"What did I just say?" She watched as the car blurred away, her head shaking. Jade was a hypocrite, she had decided, and difficult. _Though_ , Tori could have sworn that she did see a flash of a harmless smirk after her last remark - perhaps it was just her.

Or perhaps not.

**Author's Note:**

> Now, this story is on FF and isn't here (at the moment anyway). But, anyway, here's basically what's going on:
> 
> This is not, NOT, my story but SevReed's story. We've gone back and forth and I found that Sev didn't really know where to take it and the story would've been unfinished because of it, so I'm doing the favor of finishing it for him/her... Anyway, for those who've come over from SevReed's telling of this tale, I do hope it shall suffice for you; our styles are quite a bit different and the mood may have a different flare to it than Sev does. And for those first visiting here, please do read the original; it's one of my top three all time favorites of Jori. There's a simplicity to it; a simplicity that I'm not able to grasp but only admire. That, and this will be updated periodically and it won't be super-duper long.
> 
> But I hope you enjoyed "my version," I guess, of this...  
> :)


End file.
